Brooder construction



T. W. HUNTER.

BROODER CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED N0v.24, 1920.

1AQ6,87% P nt d A g 22, 1922,.

WW Wm WM s mw-- wMum g a y 2e INVENTOR.

TH MAS WHU/VTER BY M A TTORNE Y is here shown as standing upright,

Parent Carries.

THOMAS W. HUNTER, @ll OAKLAND, @ALTFGE'NIL'A.

IBERUUDJEB CGNSTRUGTIUN.

aser r.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. ea, tees.

Application filed November 2%, 19%. Serial Ito. 4263M.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that ll, THOMAS W. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and- State of California, have invented-new and useful Improvements in BI'OOdGIf Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates 'to equipment for poultry raising, and particularly pertains to a brooder construction.

lit is the principal object of the present invention. to provide abrooder structure adapted to be used as a shelter and hover for small chickens, which structure is so arranged as to be adjustable, thereby accommodating chickens of different sizes, at the same time providing a construction embodying the use of duplicate parts, which may be readily assembled to form the brooder, and may thus be conveniently packed for shipping.

The present invention contemplates the use ofa circular heating unit so designed as to discharge heated. air from the top thereof, and over which unit an adjustable canopy in disposed for the purpose previously set forth.

The invention is illustrated'b ample in the accompanying which:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section and elevation showing the structure with which the present invention is concerned. a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan showing the upper spider of the canopy.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in plan showing the adjusting ring of the canopy. v

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation showing the details of con- 'struction of the canopy.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 10 indicates brooder stove. This stove and is adapted to burning oil or other desirable fuel. The stove is cylindrical in section, and is formed with a series of vertical air passage ways 11, through which air circulates, and within'which passage ways the air is heated. The upper part of the stove is preferably frusto-conical in formation, the sides way of exrawlngs, 1n

thereof substantially agreeing in angu-- 12 adjustlarity with the roof of a canopy h e air pasabiy disposed above the stove.

sage ways 11- have openings 13 which occur in the frusto-conical dome of the stove, and

from which the heated air may be ejected I against the wall of the canopy and near the apex thereof.

The canopy 12 which may be used as a brooder or hover is substantially conical in formation, an extends outwardly and downwardly around the stove. This canopy is preferabl formed in sections, as indicated at 14 in ig. 1. It will thus be evident that while the canopy is substantially circular, yet it will be made up of a plurality of segments 14, forming the cone. These segments are of uniform size and are made of sheet metal. Theangular length of the segments will of course be determined by the height of the cone, and the number of segments required. In any event, each of the segments is formed as shown in Fig. 4:, Where it will be seen that the outer mar inal edge is turned down to form flange 15. his flange is provided to carry the hover strips 16, which are preferably made of fabric, and are vertically slitted at intervals along their length, to permit the small chickens to easily pass under the canopy. One of the angular edges of each se ent is formed with an upturned tongue 1 which stands the length thereof. The complementary edge of each adjacent segment is formed with an overturned flange 18 adapted to receive the flange 17, and to be secured therewith by bolts 19. j

The upper ends of all the canopy seg ments are fastened to a spider 20 by bolts 21, which extend through radial lugs 22 arranged around the outer circumference of the spider. These lugs are in register with the flanges 18 as clearl shown in Fig. 2. Tn the drawing the spi er is shown as having an annular body portion forming a circular opening through which the flue pipe 23 of the breeder stoye may extend. It is to be understood that when other forms of stoves are provided the spider 20 may be closed if desired.

It is intended that the canopy shall have adjustable vertical movement, and for that reason an adjusting ring 24 is disposed around the .pi e 23 at some little distance above the spi er 20-. This ring carries a lugs 27 to the ring. It is preferable that these lugs shall be arranged at 120 degrees to each other, thus requiring the provision of three lugs'and three adjusting cables.

The cables are led over pulley blocks 28, and.

are then connected to a single c'able 29, which is in turn led over a'pulley block 28, and is fastened to a counterweight 30. This counterweight is shown in Fig. 1 as being a bucket within which liquid or granular material may be disposed until the weight of the canopy is counterbalanced.

In the use of the present invention the stove is assembled as shown in Fig. 1, with the exception of fitting the pipe in place, and the various canopy segments are formed with the'flanges 15, 17 and 18, after which all of the required parts of the brooder set are compactly arranged for'shipment. The receiver may then assemble the brooder canopy by interlocking the various flanges 17 and 18, and bolting them to each other and to the lugs 22 of the spider 20. The stay wires 25 may then be placed in position and the adjusting ring and spider thereafter disposed around the vertically extending flue pipe 23. The adjusting cables ma then be arranged as well as the pulle s. proper counterwei ht 30 has been p time the heated air from the brooder stove will pass upwardly through the openings 10, strike the near face of the canopy wall, and being to a great extent deflected downwardly to warm the entire area of which the canop is superimposed. When the stove-needs a tention, or when the temperature of the air beneath the brooder requires change, the canopy may be easily raised at will, rem-aining in any desired position due to the counterweight 30.

It will thus be seen that b the use of brooder structure here describe a device of simple and convenient construction is provided, and at the same time desirable means aflorded for easily renovating the air be neath a brooder canopy and regulating the temperature of the air at will.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes might be made in the combination, construction and arrangement of parts by those hen the rovided, the brooder is rea y for operation. At this inseam skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brooder for .fowls comprising adome formed of tapering sheets having upturned meeting edges bolted together to form a cone, and having downturned peripheral edges, and a fabric material dependent from said edges, a platform near which the edge of the fabric approaches, a heater resting on said platform havinga conical top within the dome, and a central smoke escape flue, a guide ring slidable on the flue above the dome, stay Wires connecting the uide rings to the dome and suspending corfs from the guide ring, passing through the ring and over pulleys fixed above, and a counterweight with which the cords are connected.

2. A knock down brooder comprising a dome formed of a plurality of flat tapering sheets substantially triangular in form, the bases thereof combining to form a polygonal dome, an'upturned flange along one edge of each sheet, an upturned channel flange upon the opposlte edge to receive the upturned flange of an adjacent sheet, said flanges being secured together, a spider ring at the apex of thevdomeand having lugs to which each of the flanges are bolted, a heater adapted to be centrally mounted beneath the dome, a flue for said heater extending through the said spider ring, a guide ring slidable on said flue, stay wires connecting the guide ring to the dome and suspending means connected with the guide rin for adjustably supporting the dome in re ation to the heater.

3. A knock down brooder comprisin a dome formed of a plurality of flat tapering sheets substantially triangular in form, the bases thereof combining to form a polygonal dome, an upturned flange along one edge of each sheet, and a channel flange u on the opposite edge to receive the upturne flange of an adjacent sheet, said flan es being bolted together, a spider ring at t e apex of the dome and having lugs to which each of said flanges is bolted and suspending means for adjustably supporting the dome.

THOMAS W. HUNTER. 

